Enough Light??

[d1ggler]

Im having an extension built for a home cimena/games room,its gonna be 4.6m x 5.4m would 3 rows of 4 downlighters be sufficiant lighting??
Wih no downlighters in my house to compare with ive no idea, any help would be appriciated

cheers

[dalethecaptain]

What type of down lights are you considering, are they mains halogen, low voltage halogen, or LED?

With any downlighter the 'perceived' level of light is generally higher, but the actual brightness depends on the room finish (e.g. wall and floor colors) and the actual lamp lens angle/lamp intensity/color temperature can make a huge difference to the feel of the room. I was told its important that you see and feel the effects of the lighting, rather just see the light, so to speak.

Lighting is very difficult to get right in multi purpose rooms. I had a lot of problems getting the temperature of the lighting right as I have smallish windows, and it was either to dark or too clinical and cold.

It might be best to buy your lights from a proper lighting specialist and get some advice (its usually free), but paying a lighting consultant is worth the money in my opinion!

[MarkP80]

With a room that big you really should have a think about how you want it lit for different uses, in my opinion. I'd be thinking about having the downlights on more than one circuit, so you have the option of having only some of them on, in specific areas. Certainly you want to be able to dim them.

Also have a think about other lights - uplights, wall lights etc.

What about using something like Rako to give you themes?

It might be best to buy your lights from a proper lighting specialist and get some advice (its usually free), but paying a lighting consultant is worth the money in my opinion!

- not a bad idea. At least, have a look through the many threads here.

Regards,
MarkP

[d1ggler]

Thx for the advise guys ill have a look round and possibly phone a specialists for some help cause im a total noob when it comes to lighting and such.

Originally Posted by dalethecaptain

What type of down lights are you considering, are they mains halogen, low voltage halogen, or LED?

That was gonnna be my next question by asking which is the best option out of the 3? lol

I definatley want to be able to dim them and having themes with the Rako would be ideal but i think its a bit out of my price range, the wife would kill me lol

[Light Designer]

Hi D1ggler, If your still doing this and want a light calc done let me know (no Charge) Also I am a Rako distributor if that helps and could offer some adise on alternatives. I dont come on very often so email me if you need the help.

LD